System for distributing merchandise.



No. 690,627. Patented Jan. 7. I902.

R. 0.-. WICKES.

svsma FOR- DISTRIBUTING MERCHANDISE.

' (Application filed Aug. 10, 1901.

(No Model.)

IIIIIIIIIIII/ 'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII VII/IIIIII/IIIIIIIIII.

\MT E5555 ENTUR an: mums mans w. wfotru-ufua. wumunrom a. e.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

1 ROBERT O. WICKES, OF TROY, NEW YORK.-

SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTING MERCHANDISE.

SFEGIFlClhTIONfor-niing part of Letters Patent No. 690,627, dated January '7, 1902.

' Amman {1195 August 10,1901. Serial No. 71,589- (llo modeld To a whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I,: ROBERTO. W1OKES,a citizen of the United States, residing at Troy,

' county of Rensselaer, and State of New York,

have. invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Means for Checking Up the Distribution of Merchandise, of which the following is a specification; 1

The invention relates to such improve- .ments; and it consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the'accompanying drawings and the reference characters marked thereomwhich' form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures.

tracks, and a freight-depot in a convenient position for the use of my improved devices. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a check-receptacle. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same, taken on the broken line 3 3 in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a check adapted to be inserted in the receptacle shown in Figs. 2 and 3. in Fig. 3, except that the central wire is moved toward one side of the receptacle. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4, except that the slot is nearer one side of the body part of the check.

It frequentlyhappens in shipping freight from a given city or locality to other distant cities that some portion or parcel of the freight destined for one city will be placed in the wrong railway car, destined for another and distant city, which causes great inconvenience and loss both to the shipping com-f pany and the consignee.

The object of my invention is to distribute freight to be shipped or other merchandise in such a manner that no mistakes can be made in shipping.

Although myinvention is applicable equally well to the storage of merchandise in various store-rooms,I have shown it applied to freight distribution, and I have shown in the drawings a freight-depot 1, with adjoining tracks Fig. 5 is a view similar to that shown 2 3, and aplurality of freight-cars t, grouped together on the tracks convenient to the I vided with a check-receptacle 5, adapted to receive certain checks only. Checks preferably rnade of sheet metal similar to those shown in the drawings and marked 6 and 7 are provided and adapted to be inserted in the check-receptacle. For example, the checks 6 contain a middleslot 8, adapted to receive the wire 9, running transversely of the open space in the check-receptacle 5, so that when the check is inserted in the receptacle the wire enters the slot and allows thecheck to pass down into the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 3. not be inserted in the receptacle 5, because its slot 10 does not register with the wire 9, also the check 7 could only be deposited in the receptacle 12, which has its wire 13 on one side of the middle, so as toregister with the one-sided slot 10 in check'7. In this way the checks and check-receptacles are made to It is obvious that'the check 7 could. i

differ from one another, so that each car is provided with a receptacle difiering from all the other receptacles and adapted to receive only those checks which are intended for that receive that check. The check 7 is similarly marked with the symbol B the same as the symbol of receptacle 12, which is adapted to receive such check.

The receptacles may be provided with an aperture 14 in their upper ends by which they can be hung upon the wall of the car and be easily,'when desired, removed therefrom.

There should be provided convenient to the tallyman in the depot a supply of receptacles and checks, preferably a plurality of checks for each receptacle. Y 1

The operation is as follows: When a load of mixed freight comes to the depot to be shipped to various points of destination, the

The receptacles are also tallyman selects a parcel having a certain destination and delivers the same to a truckman, together with a check having thereon a symbol of .the car or the check-receptacle in the car destined for the point to which this particular parcel of goods is to be shipped. He then delivers to a truckman another parcel having a difierent destination, together with another check having thereon the symbol of the car or receptacle having the same desti-' nation, and so on until the freight is all distributed. The truckman takes the several parcels and checks, and after finding the car having the symbol which he finds on his check accompanying the parcel he deposits the parcel in that car and deposits his check in the receptacle in that car. Should it happen that the check willnotenterthe recep 'tacle, then he knows a mistake has been made. He compares the symbolsand finds the symbol on his check does notagree with that on the receptacle. He then removes theparcel of merchandise from the car andseeks further until he finds the proper car contain-J ingcthe symbol which corresponds with the symbol on his check, and-he then deposits the parcel in that car and his check iniitsproper' receptacle therein. Inthis wayithemost ignorant and heedless truckman is prevented from making a mistake of depositingalpaw celofmerchandise in the wrong car. ,After, the; cars are loaded the.tal'lyman-removes the receptacles .andtakes thechecks therefrom, carefully observing Whether allot the checks have been fully inserted inthe receptacles.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a series of checkreceptacles marked by differing symbols designating different store-rooms and having differing interior arrangements; of a series of checks similarly marked and constructed to fit, respectively, the receptacles,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a series of difiering check-receptacles, marked by difiering symbols representing difiering store-rooms and adapted to be arranged in such store-rooms; of a series of checks, each check having a symbol diifering from the symbols on the other checks and like the symbolon one of the receptacles, and constructed to fit that receptacleonly which bears a symbollike its own.

3. The combination with aseries of differing check receptacles, marked by difiering symbols representing different railway-cars and adapted to be arranged in suchcarsgtof a plurality of sets of checks,vone set for each check-receptacle, the checks of each set being adapted to enter and fit one of such checkreceptacles onlyand having car-symbolslike that of thereceptacle Whichmheyfit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handthis 29th dayof July, 1901.

ROBERT O. VVIOKES.

Witnesses:

GEO. A. MosHER, FRANK C. CURTIS. 

